North West police spokesperson Capt Aafje Bothma said the teen would start his psychiatric evaluation sessions today.

The court decision to send the teenager for psychiatric evaluation came barely a week after a 17-year-old pupil from Ramotshere Moiloa Secondary School in Zeerust was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for stabbing teacher Gadimang Mokolobate to death in September.

Violence has gripped North West schools in recent months, prompting the provincial department of education to call for a safety summit.

Education MEC Sello Lehari said the school safety summit will begin today. "This matter is now serious, we cannot say we will ask soldiers to stand at every school gates, we need to do more," he said.

Lehari said the department has realised that most of the violence reported came from pupils not teachers.

"We are going to discuss such issues. Among other things we will monitor the child's background, environmental and living conditions.

"In that way we will be able to notice if a child has problem at an early stage and we hope that we will be able to prevent such horrific incidents," he said.